The title, along with all of the other quotes in this article, is part of the inspirational speech given in 2014 by U.S. Navy admiral and University of Texas-Austin alumnus William H. McRaven, when he spoke at the school’s commencement. McRaven was the commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command who organized the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
Regarding the title of this article, McRaven said:
“It was a simple task—mundane at best. But every morning we were required to make our bed to perfection. It seemed a little ridiculous at the time, particularly in light of the fact that we were aspiring to be real warriors, tough battle-hardened SEALs—but the wisdom of this simple act has been proven to me many times over. If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another.”
As new immigrants, we often feel frustrated by not being able to perform simple transactions we used to handle easily “in the old country” such as paying bills, dealing with the local bank, understanding what is requested from us at the Kupat Cholim (health insurance and medical services organization), at the supermarket, or at any one of the many institutions we have to deal with daily in Israel.
By doing these tasks over and over again, we get used to them until we become comfortable with them, without being intimidated.
The idea is simple: do all of these daily tasks by yourself, again and again, until you can master every aspect of everyday Israeli life.
Most days you will be very successful in handling the events that come your way in Israeli culture, but there will be times when something new or unexpected happens, and you don’t know how to proceed.
Before going into a tailspin, remember two points.
- You have what it takes to overcome obstacles–remember what you had to accomplish to make Aliyah!
- You overcame the last experience in your new homeland that you thought you could not handle, but you did!
Despite your best efforts, however, there will be situations that come up that you may not be able to handle on your own. Don’t be ashamed to seek advice and guidance. It is not the same as letting someone else do it for you, especially when it is part of your learning process.
“If you want to change the world, measure a person by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers.”
“Several times a week, the instructors would line up the class and do a uniform inspection. It was exceptionally thorough. Your hat had to be perfectly starched, your uniform immaculately pressed and your belt buckle shiny and void of any smudges. But it seemed that no matter how much effort you put into starching your hat, or pressing your uniform or polishing your belt buckle— it just wasn’t good enough. The instructors would find “something” wrong. For failing the uniform inspection, the student had to run, fully clothed, into the surf zone and then, wet from head to toe, roll around on the beach until every part of his body was covered with sand. The effect was known as a “sugar cookie.” You stayed in that uniform the rest of the day—cold, wet and sandy.
There were many students who just couldn’t accept the fact that their efforts were in vain. No matter how hard they tried to get the uniform right, it was unappreciated. Those students didn’t make it through training. Sometimes, no matter how well you prepare or how well you perform, you still end up as a sugar cookie. It’s just the way life is sometimes.”
If you want to change the world, get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward.
I cannot count the number of times I’ve heard new immigrants say things like: “It isn’t fair. It is not acceptable. There must be another way.” etc.
It doesn’t matter how bad you feel, how unfair it seems, how unacceptable it is: It’s just the way life is sometimes.
“So, if you want to change the world, don’t back down from the sharks.”
“During the land warfare phase of training, the students are flown out to San Clemente Island which lies off the coast of San Diego. The waters off San Clemente are a breeding ground for the great white sharks. To pass SEAL training, there are a series of long swims that must be completed. One—is the night swim.
Before the swim, the instructors joyfully brief the trainees on all the species of sharks that inhabit the waters off San Clemente. They assure you, however, that no student has ever been eaten by a shark—at least not recently.
But, you are also taught that if a shark begins to circle your position—stand your ground. Do not swim away. Do not act afraid. And if the shark, hungry for a midnight snack, darts towards you—then summon up all your strength and punch him in the snout and he will turn and swim away.”
“There are a lot of sharks in the world. If you hope to complete the swim you will have to deal with them.”
Israeli culture is different from the culture you grew up in. Sometimes we look at certain Israelis thinking that they are “too much” for us to handle, “how crass and rude these guys are.” Yes, some are as described, and even worse, but don’t despair, don’t be afraid, because in spite of their rudeness and toughness, they are real “Sabras”–full of thorns on the outside, sweet and tender on the inside.
Eventually, you will have to deal with them–you may be hurt by some of their thorns, but in the end, you will learn how to avoid the thorns and enjoy the tenderness and sweetness.
“If you want to change the world, don’t ever, ever ring the bell.”
“Finally, in SEAL training there is a bell; a brass bell that hangs in the center of the compound for all the students to see. All you have to do to quit—is ring the bell. Ring the bell and you no longer have to wake up at 5 o’clock. Ring the bell and you no longer have to do the freezing cold swims. Ring the bell and you no longer have to do the runs, the obstacle course, the PT— and you no longer have to endure the hardships of training. Just ring the bell. “
If you want to succeed in your Aliyah, don’t ever ring the bell – don’t give up. Confront the trouble, keep on going, don’t be afraid, and enjoy the journey!
A final but very important message:
Don’t make excuses for yourself–not for your mistakes or your failures and shortcomings. Instead, learn from them and when guidance is needed, seek help from trusted advisors.
Remember to be willing to fail, because eventually we all fail at some point. We can’t look at life through a lens of fear. We may fail, but at the very least we will still have a valuable learning experience.
I recently overheard two people talking in the elevator. One said, “I just made Aliyah.” The other replied, “Interesting, but Aliyah made me!”
Keep moving forward – you will achieve your goals.
